Don't worry about losing. If it's right, it happens. The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away. SteinbeckDance is nothing until it's on a beautiful body - Wade RobsonWhat you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. - Ralph Waldo EmersonIn life as in the dance: Grace glides on blistered feet. - Alice Abrams

Won't ever forget this day... I was12 years old and thinking that they all died, including Stevie Y. The details were so sketchy when it first happened. We were just heart broken to see Vladinator reduced to this, but winning the following year was probably my favorite Cup just because of Vladi getting to hoist right after Stevie. We love you Vladi and Sergei M.

sheesh... imagine if that never happened and Jiri never had the heart attack... that could have been the most epic blueline in NHL history...

Early 2000's... just the top 4 alone that could have been...Lidstrom-KonstantinovFischer-Chelios

sheesh...

Also throw in Grigs, if he hadn't been in a crash too, we'd have the Euro Trips.

I will admit that I just teared up.

I got choked up for sure.

Edited by Konnan511, 07 June 2010 - 04:50 PM.

The Best Of BCHankthaTank- Squirrels, they hate to be thrown. / Why is the magical unicorn named Brian... Jedi - I just downloaded the "kids" book, "Go the F--k to Sleep" as narrated by Samuel L. Jackson on my kindle. I am now ready to be a daddy. / *Checks Router* No, I'm positive I didn't hit the "Wings Defense Sucks" button. Electrophile - I'm just glad the Wings were able to win despite the Curse of Brian. ACallToArms - I think Trey needs to put something about payroll tax and deferred income in his sig... Edicius- I'd rather [have] a soundbite of me saying "I like (man sausage)" rather than "I like Crosby".

Does anybody here agree with those who think Vladdy was the Wings' best player when they won the cup in 97?

There was SO many great players on that team. I don't know if any one player really stood out completely. But Vladi sure did with the amazing hits (See Eric Lindros, See Eric Lindros get rocked! ) exceptional defensive play, and even very underlooked shot he had. That whole team was spectacular but he certainly was one of a kind.

I s*** you not, I was just perusing youtube watching hockey videos. Mike Richards videos lead me to some hockey fights, which lead me to some Vladdy videos...and upon finishing watching them I thought...."hey, Maybe I'll make a post on the forums for old times sake".

Sure as s***, this thread is sitting right on the top.

And his history will be made clip:

Loved the comment below that goes, "what if the refs wanted to take this one from Hockeytown". I know it's a little cynical but I couldn't help but chuckle.

The day it happened I was practically still celebrating. The story almost seemed like a hoax. It took a few days for the reality to set in.

I don't know if this will be considered blasphemy or heresy, but as a defenseman I think Vladdy was better than Lidstrom. Lidstrom had the better all around game, but Vladdy was the man. He wasn't really that big either, but he could sure dish out the punishment.

I was only 13 and juuuuust getting into hockey when this happened, but I still remember the headlines in the paper and asking my dad if everyone was all right. I teared up the following year when they handed Vladdy the Cup in his wheelchair. Still makes me tear up.

Not to throw a wet blanket on this thread or anything, but it was 13 years ago tonight that the Wings won the Cup for the first time in 42 years - June 7, 1997. The limo accident happened six days later on June 13, 1997 - a Friday.

But I agree with everyone else...if that accident never happened, IMO we could have won 3 or 4 Cups in a row! Vlady brought a physical presence to the blue line that the Wings have struggled to find since. I remember when he laid out Lindros in the Final in 1997 - Lindros looked like he'd run into a brick wall!

And then less than a week after they won, hearing the breaking news come over the TV...running to get my Walkman so I could listen to the radio and watch TV at the same time...hearing one news report say Sergei was dead (found out later he wasn't even in the limo)...then the looks on all the Wings' faces the next morning and the catch in Stevie's voice as he asked everyone to pray for their fallen teammates. What makes it so much worse is the Wings were actually being smart - they were celebrating with the Cup and knew they'd be drinking so they'd hired limos to drive them around! And the limo driver was high and fell asleep at the wheel!

It's one of those things that just makes you sit back and wonder what might have been.